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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616348">Halloween Homecoming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearnoldwaltz/pseuds/thearnoldwaltz'>thearnoldwaltz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hey Arnold!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:54:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,770</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearnoldwaltz/pseuds/thearnoldwaltz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arnold returns to Hillwood and celebrates Halloween with old friends</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Helga Pataki/Arnold Shortman, Phoebe Heyerdahl/Gerald Johanssen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Halloween Homecoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote this for The Pataki Press several years ago but never posted it. I know it's not Halloween but if I wait until Halloween I'll forget! :P</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Arnold stood in front of a green door, on the second floor of an apartment building in the heart of </span>
  <span>Hillwood</span>
  <span>. Arnold’s hand was poised to knock, but he had second thoughts and had to double check his text messages to make sure he had the right apartment number.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yep. Apartment 206. Honestly, he was just stalling. For the past two years, </span>
  <span>he’d</span>
  <span> only talked to his best friend through texts and social media. Now that he was here in person, he worried that things </span>
  <span>wouldn’t</span>
  <span> be the same.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knocked. A few seconds later, the door opened and Phoebe Heyerdahl, in an Ursula costume, beamed up at him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Arnold! It’s so good to see you! Come in!” Arnold would have given Phoebe a hug, but she was very pregnant and he wasn’t clear on proper hug protocol in this situation. Instead, he awkwardly walked inside.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gerald’s still getting Ruby ready. He’ll be right out.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold took a seat in a chair next to the window, and Phoebe joined him on a nearby couch, lifting up her octopus tentacles so she </span>
  <span>wouldn’t</span>
  <span> sit on them. Arnold had never been in this apartment, since </span>
  <span>they’d</span>
  <span> moved here just after his last visit to </span>
  <span>Hillwood</span>
  <span>. It was a nice apartment, cozy with just the right balance of neat and “lived-in”. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you coming Trick-or-Treating with us?” Arnold asked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phoebe grimaced. “Traversing the neighborhood does not seem especially appealing right now,” she said, resting her hands on her stomach. “I’ll give out candy here, thank you.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold nodded. “That’s sensible. Have you already taken off work?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yesterday was my last day before maternity leave,” Phoebe said, frowning. “They’re going to finish the new artificial liver design without me!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hopefully the baby will be worth it,” Arnold said, which made Phoebe laugh.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I think so.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerald emerged from the hallway with his four-year-old daughter. The pair were dressed as Ariel and King Triton. Arnold </span>
  <span>couldn’t</span>
  <span> help but laugh, seeing his friend in a fake muscle shirt and metallic-blue pants with fins at the bottoms.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Arnold, my man.” Gerald and Arnold went in for their classic handshake, while Ruby hid behind her father’s leg, looking suspiciously at the man with the football-shaped head.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>I guess she doesn’t remember me, huh?” Arnold </span>
  <span>said, feeling a bit guilty.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be shy.” Gerald told his daughter. “This is Arnold, your godfather.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were just a baby the last time I saw you. You’re so big now!”</span>
  <span> Arnold bent down to address the child</span>
  <span>, who still seemed a bit unsure.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daddy, is he nice?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s the nicest guy I know.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the assurance from her father, Ruby smiled up at Arnold and shouted “Okay!” then skipped over to where her mother sat on the couch.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where’s your costume?” Gerald asked his friend. Arnold shrugged. He </span>
  <span>hadn’t</span>
  <span> had time to put anything together. “You need to get in on this,” Gerald said, pointing his plastic trident at Arnold as he walked back into Ruby’s room. He returned with Sebastian and Flounder hair clips. “Ruby loves </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Little Mermaid</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said, handing the clips to Arnold.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold laughed and dutifully pinned the sea creatures in his hair.</span>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Arnold </span>
  <span>shouldn’t</span>
  <span> have worried that things would be weird between Gerald and himself. They had plenty to talk about with all the recent changes in their lives, and Ruby provided an extra source of entertainment when conversation lagged. They even ran into some old friends. Nadine was out Trick-or-Treating with her young cousin, as were Connie and Maria with their son. They visited Jack and Tish </span>
  <span>Wittenburg’s</span>
  <span> door, at which Ruby reluctantly accepted as her treat a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free hotdogs at Mickey’s Dog Pound. They even stopped at Stoop Kid’s (“It’s Stoop Man now,” he informed them) stoop, where Ruby was given extra candy because Stoop Man recognized Gerald's voice from “Gerald’s Show” on the morning radio.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few houses down from Stoop Man’s stoop was a green building covered in Halloween decorations: Jack-o-Lanterns, cobwebs, ghosts, and skeletons covered the walls and windows. “These people really like Halloween,” Gerald said, skeptically.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you know who lives here?” Arnold asked. Gerald shook his head, walking past, but Ruby yanked on her father’s arm.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We missed one!” she cried.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerald sighed and turned back toward the house. The trio yelled in unison as the door opened, “Trick-or-Treat!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Werewolf costumed man in the doorway pulled on a </span>
  <span>rope,</span>
  <span> and dozens of spiders fell onto Arnold, Gerald, and Ruby. Gerald's immediate reaction was to frantically shake his limbs to rid himself of the bugs, but he quickly remembered his young daughter and turned his attention to brushing spiders </span>
  <span>off of</span>
  <span> her instead. Thankfully, Ruby </span>
  <span>didn't</span>
  <span> seem too bothered by the eight-legged creatures. She raised her arm to her face and examined one crawling on her hand.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold stepped off the stoop and tousled his hair. He frowned at the man who had answered the door. “What was that about, Curly?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? You said </span>
  <em>
    <span>trick or treat</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Curly replied, emphasizing each word. “I chose trick.”</span>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Gerald was still wriggling in his skin halfway down the next block.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think they’re still on me,” he said, trying to reach across his back. “Do you see any on me?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold didn’t answer. He was distracted by a woman a few blocks ahead, with blonde pigtails, wearing a pink dress. She was walking with a boy of maybe 7 or 8.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerald waved a hand in front of his friend’s face. “Earth to Arnold.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold snapped out of his daze, </span>
  <span>then</span>
  <span> pointed up the street, trying to sound nonchalant. “Is that Helga?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerald glanced in the direction of Arnold’s finger. “Hm? Yeah, looks like it. Oh hey, this is Sid and Lorenzo’s place. We’ve gotta stop here.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sid and Lorenzo answered the door </span>
  <span>together,</span>
  <span> each dressed as one half of an Oreo cookie. “Arnold!” Sid exclaimed before they even had time to yell Trick-or-Treat. “I haven’t seen you in forever! Where have you been?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ecuador. Working for the State Department,” Arnold replied, glancing down the street to see how far away Helga had gotten. She was stopping at a house now too.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just visiting </span>
  <span>Hillwood</span>
  <span> then?” Lorenzo asked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerald threw an arm around Arnold’s shoulder. “Nope! He’s back in </span>
  <span>Hillwood</span>
  <span> for good!” It </span>
  <span>wasn’t</span>
  <span> a completely accurate statement. “Indefinitely” would have been more precise, </span>
  <span>seeing</span>
  <span> as Arnold didn’t even have a new job yet. </span>
  <span>But</span>
  <span> he didn’t bother correcting Gerald.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Trick-or-Treat!” Ruby said, holding out her basket. She had grown tired of the grown-ups' conversation. Sid placed a Mr. Nutty candy bar in the basket, </span>
  <span>then</span>
  <span> extracted a promise from Arnold that they would hang out soon.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So that boy with Helga...” Arnold began after they left Sid and Lorenzo’s stoop.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of filling in the blank for him, Gerald just smirked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is... he her son?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerald laughed. “No. Olga’s kid. I think his name is... Atlas? Something like that.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Ohhh</span>
  <span>.” Arnold tried to keep from sounding relieved.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Helga happens to be single.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold shrugged. “That’s cool.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh huh.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wasn’t wondering.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure you weren’t, lover boy.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold and Helga had dated in high school, until Arnold decided he wanted to move across the country for college. The breakup had been a bit nasty. </span>
  <span>But</span>
  <span> every situation was impassioned when Helga was involved. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go talk to her.” Gerald suggested.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Arnold could answer, the unmistakable music of an ice cream truck sounded down the street.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jolly Olly</span>
  <span>!!”</span>
  <span> Ruby yelled. She pointed at the Halloween special advertised on the side of the truck and added “Pumpkin!” Arnold looked in the other direction to see Helga turning a corner with her nephew.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go ahead,” </span>
  <span>Gerald</span>
  <span> said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But... I came to hang out with you two.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby kept pulling her father’s hand toward the ice cream truck, apparently indifferent to whether Arnold hung out with her or not.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can meet up again later. Go now, before you lose her.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold left them, walking fast. Trying to convince himself that he </span>
  <span>didn’t</span>
  
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>care if he caught up with Helga. </span>
  <span>So</span>
  <span> he and Helga had a history. Big deal. That was a long time ago.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned down the street Helga had taken, wondering </span>
  <span>what on earth</span>
  <span> he was going to say to her. Then they collided.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Watch where you’re...” Helga </span>
  <span>began,</span>
  <span> rubbing her jaw where she’d slammed into Arnold’s forehead (She was still taller than him). Her eyes widened as she realized </span>
  <span>who</span>
  <span> she’d just bumped into. “Arnold?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Helga.” They stared at each other for a moment, </span>
  <span>then</span>
  <span> Helga shook her head as if shaking off unwanted thoughts. “I thought you were in Ecuador.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My tour was up so I’m back in </span>
  <span>Hillwood</span>
  <span> for the time being.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phoebe didn’t tell me you would be in town,” Helga said. She sounded a bit miffed, which felt like a good sign.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you… care that I’m in town?” Arnold teased, suddenly feeling a bit more confident.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would I care about something like that?” Helga snapped.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold just laughed. “Who’s this?” he asked, gesturing toward the boy at Helga’s side. The child wore a suit, a black wig, and a bizarre mustache.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Salvador Dali,” the boy announced.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helga rolled her eyes lovingly and added, “Atticus. My nephew.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have candy for me?” Atticus asked, holding out his bucket.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um... no sorry.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see,” the boy responded with a sigh. He eyed the next doorstep longingly. Arnold tried to come up with something else to say quickly before Atticus demanded that he and his aunt move along.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you still wear your hair in pig tails?” Arnold asked Helga.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What? No! They’re part of my costume.” Helga gestured toward her outfit.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, you’re...” Arnold hoped that something would come to him. </span>
  <span>But</span>
  <span> she looked exactly how he remembered her. Pink dress. Blonde pigtails.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Dee </span>
  <span>Dee</span>
  <span> from Dexter’s Laboratory, </span>
  <span>doi</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, of course.” Arnold </span>
  <span>sort of</span>
  <span> remembered that cartoon.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanted her to be Frida Kahlo,” said Atticus. “She’s already got the eyebrow.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Helga scowled while Atticus and Arnold shared a knowing look.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Atticus and I should probably be on our way,” Helga said. “It was... good to see you.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you too...” Arnold said as Helga took her nephew’s hand and walked away.</span>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Arnold met back up with Gerald and Ruby and they continued Trick-or-Treating. They ran into more old friends and neighbors, each of whom caught Arnold up on what he had missed in their lives in the years he’d been away. Eugene taught theater at the local high school, where Patty Smith had recently been promoted to Vice Principal. Sheena had founded a local wildlife conservation group. Brainy was in school to become a “pulmonologist” (Arnold had to google it to find out that he meant “lung doctor”). Lila was running for mayor, so she was handing out “Vote Sawyer” stickers to all the parents walking around with their children.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The butcher shop was giving out free “Mummy Dogs” a festive take on pigs-in-a-blanket. While Ruby munched on the snack, Arnold had a chance to catch up with Harold and Rhonda and meet their one-year-old daughter Courtney.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they left Berman Meats, Gerald’s phone rang. “Phoebe,” he said, answering the phone. “How’s the evening going for my lovely wife?” There was a short pause before Gerald exclaimed, “I can be home in 5 minutes!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Arnold asked, concerned. </span>
  <span>But</span>
  <span> his worry disappeared when he saw the smile on his friend’s face.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re having a baby! Would you watch Ruby for a while? I was going to take her to my parents, but since you’re here...”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course!” Arnold wanted to spend some more time with his goddaughter anyway.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerald bent down to kiss his daughter on the cheek and assure her that she would have a great time with Arnold, then took off running down the street toward his home.</span>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Ruby and Arnold knocked on a few more doors until they arrived at the boarding house, where Arnold’s parents and the other boarders had a grand time entertaining Ruby with Halloween themed games like “Pin the Face on the Pumpkin” and “Toilet Paper Mummy.” By the time Arnold got the call from Gerald that the new baby had arrived, Ruby was fast asleep. When he tried to wake her, she glared at Arnold and rolled away from him like a rebellious teenager, but she quickly changed her tune when she learned it was time to meet her baby sister.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they arrived at the hospital, Ruby marched up to the reception desk and demanded, “</span>
  <span>Rozlin</span>
  <span>!” The woman at the counter looked at Arnold and raised an eyebrow.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She means Rosalind. It’s her new sister’s name. Can you direct us to Phoebe </span>
  <span>Hyerdahl’s</span>
  <span> room?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phoebe’s hospital room was packed. Present were Phoebe and Gerald, hours old Rosalind, Phoebe’s and Gerald’s parents, </span>
  <span>Timberly</span>
  <span> and </span>
  <span>Jamie’O</span>
  <span>, and none other than Helga Pataki.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Helga? What are you doing here?” Arnold asked as Ruby ran to her mother and sister.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phoebe’s my best friend, </span>
  <span>doi</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, right,” </span>
  <span>Arnold</span>
  <span> said, dully. He </span>
  <span>hadn’t</span>
  <span> expected to see Helga again so soon.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold had just enough time to congratulate Gerald before a nurse came in and shooed most of the group out of the room. “Mother and Baby need their space!” she chided. “You all can take turns!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, for crying out loud,” Helga complained. “It’ll be an hour before I get to hold the thing.” </span>
  <span>Timberly</span>
  <span> gave Helga a disapproving look upon hearing her niece called a “thing,” but Helga ignored her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you want to hold her, Helga. I wouldn’t take you for a baby person,” Arnold said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eh. </span>
  <span>They’re</span>
  <span> pretty cute when they aren’t crying or pooping. Which </span>
  <span>isn’t</span>
  <span> very often. </span>
  <span>Criminey</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>I’m</span>
  <span> starving. What do you say, Football Head? </span>
  <span>Wanna</span>
  <span> take a trip with me to the vending machines?” Arnold told himself that the feeling in his stomach was definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>butterflies. Like Helga, he was just hungry.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hospital had gotten into the Halloween spirit by dressing their vending machines up like a robot and a googly eyed monster. Helga pointed to the Yahoo soda button on the robot. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Oooo</span>
  <span>. What does this button do?” she said in a syrupy voice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold stared at her blankly, and she rolled her eyes at him. Someone laughed as </span>
  <span>they</span>
  <span> walked past. “Hey, great Dee </span>
  <span>Dee</span>
  <span> costume,” they said. It was Wolfgang. His arm was in a cast, probably from some Halloween shenanigans. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helga gestured toward Wolfgang as if to say, “See. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He </span>
  </em>
  <span>gets it.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a long awkward silence as they each purchased a snack and a drink. Helga was the first to speak. “I missed you while you were gone, you know.” Helga fiddled with the tab of her soft drink. “You never posted any pictures on social media, so I used to pull up your university’s website and see if I could find you in the student news or something.” Helga laughed, blushing furiously. Arnold wondered why she was admitting this. He </span>
  <span>wasn’t</span>
  <span> used to her being so openly vulnerable.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I missed you too. I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch. I guess I kept making up excuses for why I shouldn’t contact you.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Helga nodded, then inhaled deeply like she’d had about all of this particular subject that she could take. “Well, let’s go sit down already so you can tell me all about Ecuador.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold smiled. “I’d like that.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the next </span>
  <span>half-hour</span>
  <span> they talked about Ecuadorian culture and politics and Arnold’s home in Quito, as well as Helga’s job as a local reporter and her book that was coming out next year. Finally, it was their turn to visit with Gerald and Phoebe. Helga held Rosalind first, clutching her tightly to her chest </span>
  <span>like</span>
  <span> she was terrified she would drop her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later, she was placing the infant child in Arnold’s arms. “That was too stressful,” Helga said, dramatically wiping her brow. “I’ll hold her again when she can support her own head.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold looked down at the tiny sleeping baby. He could already see a bit of each of her parents in her: Phoebe’s mouth and the shape of Gerald’s face. “Happy Birthday, Rosalind,” Arnold whispered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My birthday’s in </span>
  <span>Fevury</span>
  <span>,” Ruby said, pulling at Arnold’s pant leg. “Will you come to my party?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetie,” Phoebe cautioned. “Arnold might not be in </span>
  <span>Hillwood</span>
  <span> in February.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold shrugged. “Maybe I’ll look for a new job here.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arnold thought he detected a slight smile on Helga’s face. He was liking the idea of staying in Hillwood more and more. There was a lot here to stick around for, after all.</span>
  
</p>
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